


Protect Their Own

by Tarnit, xensilverquill



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Cuddling, Protective Mom, Redemption, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-14 10:08:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4560573
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarnit/pseuds/Tarnit, https://archiveofourown.org/users/xensilverquill/pseuds/xensilverquill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"What the hell were you thinking?! Do you have any idea what could’ve happened if I hadn’t gotten here in time! Well, do you!?!"</p><p>Steven bites off a little more than he can chew on a mission, and one unwilling ex-soldier has to jump in to get him out of trouble.</p><p>Inspired by thegembeasttemple's Redemption!AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Protect Their Own

The monster they had been hunting was an elusive one, but it had apparently had no trouble finding _them_. It was almost frightening the short it work it had made of the four Gems with his lightning-fast strikes and its acid venom. Jasper was still reeling as she hauled herself out of the dirt - and she looked up just in time to the monster give chase to one little boy as he sprinted down the tunnel.

Ignoring the cries from the others behind her, Jasper dashed headlong after them. Behind - they had told Steven to stay _behind_! When would the boy learn to listen? Fists clenching and eyes blazing, fear and anger sent her running even faster. If that Gem monster did not manage to eat him before she got there, she swore she would throttle the child herself once she got a hold of him!

* * *

 

Steven gasped and panted as he ran down the jagged tunnel. He spared a moment to glance over his shoulder - _yeyup, the beast was still chasing him!_ \- before focusing on hustling forward.

"GARNEEET! PEEEARL! AMETHYSSST! JAAASPER!" They were all too far away to hear him, not exactly what he had intended when leading the gem creature away from his family.

He nearly tripped as he was suddenly forced into a skidding stop. Dead end. Turning around, he faced the oncoming creature with hands raised.

"H-Hey there… scary gem… snake... thing... I'm Steven. We can be friends... r-right?" He yelped as it ignored him, nearly biting off his arm. Summoning his shield, he tried to deflect the attacks, but cornered in the end of the tight tunnel it was only a matter of time before the beast got lucky.

"HEEEELP!"

* * *

 

If she possessed a heart, it would have been pounding like mad as she ran towards the screaming. Her shaggy hair flew out behind her she dashed down the corridor. Golden eyes drawn wide, she skidded to a halt at a place where the tunnels intersected, ears listening sharply for the sound again.

The panicked cry sounded from the hallway to her left, followed by a deep hissing sound. Jasper's feet were moving before she was even conscious of the action. The sound of fangs clanging on metal became louder the closer she got to the end of the passageway, and the sight that met her as she rounded the corner nearly made her stop in her tracks.

"Hey!" she yelled, her voice drawing the corrupted Gem's attention. "Why don't you try me on for size, shrimp?" With a flash she summoned her crash helmet and spun towards the monster. The warrior grabbed the serpent by its coils and forcibly heaved it away from the boy. Roaring, she barreled after it down the passageway once more.

* * *

 

Both Steven and the creature paused at the new voice. Peeking around his shield, the halfling felt his gem pulse with relief as Jasper's familiar form came into view, wrenching the gem beast away from him.

He slumped to the ground, shield dissipating. The still-fighting pair were a blur to his shocked systems. That had been too close a call. He was no warrior yet, no matter how often the crystal gems let him tag along.

"Jasper, be careful," he called quietly, not wanting to distract the Gem from her fight.

* * *

 

Roaring, the warrior did not hesitate to go for the gem embedded in the beast's forehead. The others might have been concerned more for the containment rather than the destruction of the beast, but Jasper had not such reservation. The next few minutes passed in a blur as she tussled with it, and she did not come out of the struggle without a few scrapes and scratches herself. Finally, however, the monster fell apart with a _poof!_ The green gem dropped with a _clink_ to the ground.

"You hurt, kid?"

Chest heaving, her crash helmet dissipated as she finally turned to the boy. The Gem was quick to kneel beside him and check him for injuries. She grunted at the bruises and scrapes she found, but near as she could tell there was thing broken or sprained. When she found he was no worse for wear, however, her face quickly twisted into a terrifying snarl of a scowl.

"What the hell were you thinking?! Do you have any idea what could’ve happened if I hadn’t gotten here in time! Well, do you!? You could've gotten yourself _killed_ , that’s what!"

* * *

 

A small ripple of remorse went through the young boy as he watched the gem bounce twice before coming to a halt. That could have been one of the Crystal Gems’ friends once…

Glancing up as Jasper knelt down, Steven allowed his limbs to be moved with her inspection. When she was satisfied, and definitely angry, he looked down at his lap, poking his index fingers together.

"I'm sorry! I just- I just wanted to help… I thought I could lure the creature away... a-and save everyone from being hurt..."

Sniffling, he launched himself forward and into Jasper's lap, hugging her as tight as his little arms would allow.

"Thank you for saving me…"

* * *

 

She wanted to stay angry with him, she really did. If Steven had been one of her own soldiers, he would have been court-marshalled before he could so much as blink. There was a difference between defending one's comrades and simply being stupid and reckless. Jasper was quite sure the boy was old enough to know the difference and should be disciplined accordingly.

But, as she kept finding of late, the son of Rose Quartz had a curious way of making her bend. Her arms came up around him of their own accord, and she lifted the boy up against her chest. Jasper insisted that it was not because she needed to be sure he was not harmed or because she needed the comfort that came from holding him. She was just holding the child so that he would not cry aloud and call down the wrath of the other Gems on her. Tucking his head beneath her chin, Jasper sighed heatedly.

"... Diamonds, you're gonna scare us all to death one of these days, you little brat. And don't think you can wriggle your way out of punishment that easy. You’re still in a whole mess of trouble."

* * *

 

Steven only wiggled closer as he was held tighter. Giving another squeeze, he buried his face into Jasper's chest, feeling safe within her strong arms and - though she would deny it - loving embrace. His tears still fell, though quietly now, not for the hurt but the love he was sharing in.

"I promise I won't scare you like that again," he whispered, nuzzling the orange Gem. It was almost perfect here, hidden under her chin from the dangerous world.

"We should probably bubble that other Gem and go home now, though. The others are probably worried too..." He did not make a move to leave the hug, however.

* * *

 

"You'd better not, or I'm just going to let the monster eat you next time," she muttered, returning the gesture with a brief and rough nuzzle to the top of his head.

It was a struggle not to tighten her embrace as she stood up, a lop-sided grin itching at the corner of her mouth. She kept her hold on the boy, only moving him so that he could sit on her broad shoulder. With her free hand she bubbled the Gem (though she was quite tempted to just crush it in her hand) and sent it on its way to the chamber below the temple. Keeping a secure hold on him the warrior walked back down the tunnel.

"But _you_ still get to explain to the others what happened, got it? I'm not getting my lights punched out by Garnet because you decided to play the hero."

* * *

 

{ x }

* * *

Steven had enjoyed his place perched on his friend's shoulder. He could see everything from up there! The funny shaped rocks, the way the cavern opened up again... the way Pearl began to fuss near tears, the way Garnet crossed her arms silently, or the way Amethyst definitely was not cheering for the “Steven-meister.” He had tucked his face into Jasper's hair, hiding behind the mane as he sheepishly recounted his story.

Now, however, he was swaddled under the blankets, pajamas on and lights out. The TV played silently from the foot of his bed, but not even the familiar faces of the _Crying Breakfast Friends_ could ease away his tension.

He had very nearly died today. If Jasper had not chased after him... Steven did not want to think about it, especially not now.

* * *

 

The screen door swung open as the warrior Gem came inside from the porch. The slight squeaking of the hinges and the heavy movement of her footsteps was the only sound she made as she walked in. She rumbled groggily to herself and flopped on the couch in the living room. Between the misadventure with the other Gems today and the near-actual heart attack the boy had given her, she was mentally worn out.

Speaking of the boy...

"You still up, kid?" she grumbled when she heard a rustling from his bed.

* * *

 

Groaning and turning over again, he tossed the blanket over his head with a hopeless huff. He was never going to fall asleep. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the gem beast’s jaws lunging for him, the saliva dripping onto the floor, those fangs about to snap shut around him -

He threw himself upright, panting hard, a tremble working through his exhausted body. That time had seemed too real, like he could hear the minster coming for him. Wait -

"Jasper!"

Darting out of bed, he sprinted down the stairs and around the corner, nearly crying out in relief when the largest gem came into view. The frightened boy threw himself into her lap, clinging right and huddling close.

"I can't sleep," he murmured miserably.

* * *

 

 "What are y- oof! Hey, watch it!" she muttered as he barreled into her.

The kid was certainly touchy-feely today. Frowning in irritation, she had to work to suppress a growl. All the same, though, Jasper's arms came up around the shaking half-Gem. His clothes were all rumpled like he had been fighting the bed sheets. Tilting her head to one side, she ran a hand through his curl hair.

"Hey, what's wrong, kid?"

* * *

 

A small whimper escaped the halfling as he was engulfed in his savior’s arms once more. Tucking his face into her chest, his arms clung around her abdomen. The gentle hand through his hair was soothing, allowing him to time his breathing with each slow pass.

"It almost ate me," he whispered, as if afraid that mentioning the beast would summon it back from its bubbled cell to finish him off. "It almost ate me, but you saved me... Please don't go... Can't sleep..."

"Well you don't need to get nightmares over it, okay?" the warrior rumbled, tilting Steven's chin up with her hand. "I bubbled that thing up myself, so there's no way it's coming out." Rubbing his back and drawing him in a hug, Jasper sighed.

"And even if it did, I'd bash its skull in and breaks its gem before I let it touch you again. You understand?"

* * *

 

"No nightmares..."

Well he would not have nightmares if Jasper stayed with him. She was scarier than any gem beast out there. But at the same time she loved and looked out for him, and to the boy that more than made up for any frightening personality quirks.

Looking up at the larger gem, he nodded before curling in tight to her hug. He gave a small squeeze in return.

"I love you too, Jasper. Thank you for protecting me…"

* * *

 

"Heh, don't go getting too mushy on me," she countered, though there was a certain levity in her voice. "You're gonna make me go soft like the rest of them carrying on like that." Though the younger Gem might not have realized it, he had the rest of them wrapped quite tightly around his finger. Jasper was not sure when it happened, but sometime between their first meeting and now the boy had become quite precious to her, too.

Twisting and leaning back until she lay across the couch, she kept a hold of Steven so that he lay across her belly. The warrior ruffled his hair lightly as she stared up at the ceiling.

"And don't mention it. Like I told you: it's soldier's job to protect their own."

* * *

 

"I'm not mushy; I'm Steven!" he replied, voice muffled with his face tucked into Jasper. "That means I'm soft and huggable." Eyes still watery but with a small smile on his face, he peeked up and poked the warrior in her belly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're Steven too. You're pretty soft and huggable..."

The smile widened as his world tilted until he lay over his friend. She was still holding him protectively, and from this position he could look up at her without craning his neck so far. The hand not holding onto her outfit reached up to trace one of the orange whorls on her skin. 

"Soldiers may look out for their own, but do you know who else does that?" Steven looked up, making sure he held her gaze. "Family."

* * *

 

"Family, eh..." Jasper's face thoughtful for a moment as she stared up at the ceiling. Family was  still a new concept to her, and she was still not quite sure what it meant entirely. Still... She was quiet before she returned his gaze. A lopsided grin curled at the corner of her mouth, and she nodded. "Yeah, I guess you could say that, too.

"But _soft_ and _huggable_? Me? I don't know who you're talking about, but it sure isn’t this Gem!" Then, without warning, she flipped the two of them over so that she had Steven on his back and she braced herself above him on her arms. Faster than the other Gem could protect himself, her fingers came up to tickle mercilessly at his belly. Her smirk was downright mischievous and silly as she leaned. "And what've I told you about letting your guard down?"

* * *

 

Steven beamed, eyes sparkling. Jasper had admitted, out loud, where he could hear her, that she considered them to be family. Nuzzling his face against her chest, he hugged her tight, short arms only going partway around her body.

About to exclaim his love for her again, all that came out was a startled yelp as he was suddenly rolled back and pinned. A pause, a gasp, and then a splitting squeal of laughter.

"JA-AHHAHA-ASPER!"

His limbs flailed, not aiming to hurt, but to escape the tickling torture. He laughed harder, weakly attempting to reach up and find a ticklish spot on the larger gem, though it was unlikely she had any.

"Guard up! Guard up!" He laughed, trying to raise his arms in a mock boxing stance from one of their training sessions.

* * *

 

"And the tiger goes in for the kill!" the warrior roared with mock fury. Leaning down, she blew raspberries across the child's soft belly. Growling out a laugh, she roughly nuzzled the boy as she backed from her tickle assault. Once more she flipped them over, holding the boy above her in large hands. Tilting her head to once side, Jasper cackled.

"Maybe that'll teach you a lesson the next time you start getting all sugary and sweet with me, heheh."

* * *

 

"Nooooo!" His squeals grew to near ear splitting levels between the full belly laughter. Gently holding onto her thick man, he curled around her head, legs squirming. Finally allowed to flop back, he panted with a wide grin on his face, small chuckles still rolling through him.

"The tiger is the mightiest hunter - whooa!" He laughed, dangling above her, limbs hanging down. Fingers and toes wiggled as he smiled.

"I'll get you yet, my mighty foe!" The Halfling couldn't stop smiling, his nightmares far from his mind now.

* * *

 

"I don't think you got a vengeful bone in your body, kid," she snarked back. "Although I won't stop you from trying. It'll give me a laugh if nothing else." Chuckling low in her chest, she allowed the halfing to fall onto her belly again. She was pointedly ignoring that warm, fuzzy feeling inside her that normally made her want to be sick. If Steven had been anyone else, she would have told them to suck it up and deal with it. She was not going soft - or at least that was what she told herself.

"Feelin' better there?"

* * *

 

"A laugh is better than vengeance anyway," he replied sagely, getting comfortably atop his gem pillow once more, body calming from the 'torture' it had been put through. "I like seeing you smile, too. Happiness is the perfect fashion for everyone to wear!"

Crossing his arms on her chest and laying his head on the crook of one elbow, Steven nodded with a stifled yawn. "No more nightmares tonight." Glancing up hopefully, he inched a little higher. "Will you stay? You know…just in case they come back?"

* * *

 

And if Jasper was being honest with herself, she liked to see the child smile, too. Quirking an eyebrow at his question, the warrior found herself nonplussed. She knew she was some kind of strange comfort to him, and for the most part she found his trust to be sorely misplaced. However, she found herself parroting something Garnet had said not too long ago-

"Hmph, I guess I can't say 'no' to that face," she finally replied. "And delicate as you are, I don't think you'd survive a fall out of bed without your shield or bubble, much less monster. Yeah, I'll stay..." Reaching for a blanket folded over the side of the couch with one hand, she draped it over Steven to keep him warm.

"Now shut your trap and get some sleep. We've both had a long day."


End file.
